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| Koninklijke Marine Royal Netherlands Navy Zwaardvisch-class submarine 1,290 Tons (Surfaced) 1,560 Tons (Submerged) 276' 6" x 25' 6" x 12' 9" 6 x fwd torpedo tubes 2 x ext. fwd torpedo tubes 2 ex. rear torpedo tubes 1 ext rear torpedo tube 1 x 4" deck gun 3 x machine guns   Koninklijke Marine c1943  Koninklijke Marine c1950 |
Sub History Built by by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, and John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. Laid down October 13, 1942 as a British T Class submarine. Launched July 17, 1943 as HMS Talent, but was never commissioned in the Royal Navy (RN). Instead, on March 23, 1943 transfered to the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) as the first of the Zwaardvisch-class submarine. Commissioned November 23, 1943 and renamed Hr. Ms. Zwaardvisch (Swordfish) with P322 painted in white on both sides of the conning tower. Assigned to Captain Lieutenant Hendrikus A. W. Goossens and based at Holy Loch for sea trials until February 1944. Wartime History In late February 1944, undertook patrols in the Atlantic Ocean and off the coast of Norway and unsuccessfully attempted to locate German battleship Tirpitz before returning to Dundee, Scotland in March 1944. During May 1944 patrolled off the coast of Portugal then proceeded to Gibraltar then to the Indian Ocean and the Far East. In July 1944 arrives Trincomalee on Ceylon and begins operating under the British Far Eastern Fleet. On August 6, 1944 departs Trincomalee on her first war patrol in the Far East patrolling the Strait of Malacca. On August 18, 1944 attacks junk Kim Hup Soen using her deck gun and sinks the junk. On August 19, 1944 uses her deck gun to sink two Malaysian or Japanese junks. On August 21, 1944 sinks a junk using her deck gun. On August 31, 1944 conducts reconnaissance of Christmas Island. On September 7, 1944 ends her patrol at Fremantle and begins operating under U.S. Navy control. On September 26, 1944 departs Fremantle on a patrol of the Java Sea. On October 4, 1944 northeast of Bail attacks and sinks a tanker with her deck gun. On October 6, 1944 at 1:30pm off the north coast of Java spotted U-168 and eleven minutes later fires six torpedoes with one hitting and sinking the submarine bow first at Lat 6°20'S Long 111°28'E. During the sinking, 23 died and 27 survived the sinking and were taken Prisoner Of War (POW). The prisoners claim three torpedoes hit but only one exploded. On October 17, 1944 east of Bawean Island her lookouts spots a convoy plus a tugboat towing Itsukushima in the Java Sea. Zwaardvisch sets up an attack to hit the minesweeper and escorts and fires a spread of five torpedoes. One torpedo hits and sinks Itsukushima at Lat 5-23S, Long 113-48E. Also Wakataka was hit in the bow, likely by a dud torpedo. After the attack, CH-26 searches for the submarine and drops a pattern of 18 depth charges, without results. Several hours later, Zwaardvisch surfaces to periscope depth, but is again attacked with 16 depth charges but the submarine manages to escape undamaged. On October 19, 1944 uses her deck gun to attack and sink a Japanese freighter. On October 26, 1944 returns to Fremantle. On November 28, 1944 departs Fremantle on a patrol of the South China Sea but makes no attacks and returns on December 20, 1944. On January 30, 1945 departs Fremantle on a patrol of the South China Sea. On February 7, 1945 unsuccessfully attacks a Japanese merchant ship with three torpedoes with one hit but fails to sink it. That same day attacks another ship unsuccessfully. On February 16, 1945 in the Lombok Strait attacked by a Japanese aircraft that causes heavy damage. Afterwards, USS Charr helps guides her to open water. On March 6, 1945 returns to Fremantle for repairs and Captain Ltz. I H.A.W. Goossens is relieved due to poor health. On April 9, 1945 departs Fremantle for repairs on a patrol of the Java Sea. On April 25, 1945 attacks and sinks Nomura and Albania. On April 29, 1945 attacks two coastal vessels unsuccessfully with torpedoes. Afterwards, torpedo tube problems and radio problems force the submarine to abort the rest of the patrol and instead returns to Fremantle on April 29, 1945. On June 14, 1945 departs Fremantle acorss the Indian Ocean then back to the United Kingdom. On August 6, 1945 arrived at Dundee in Scotland and undergoes repairs. On August 10, 1945 arrives Rotterdam. On August 27, 1945 refitted at Newcastle in United Kingdom. On September 15, 1945 withdrawn from active duty and moored at Newcastle. Postwar Between March 26, 1946 to April 6, 1946 moved to Rothesay in Scotland and on April 9, 1946 returns to Rotterdam. On July 22, 1947 departs with O 23 for the Dutch West Indies. On August 11, 1947 arrives at Curaçao. The pair depart on October 13, 1947 and return to Rotterdam by October 31, 1947. In 1947 the submarine made a trip to the Dutch West Indies. In 1950 renamed "Zwaardvis". During 1953, aids the Zeeland rescue fleet for flood support in the southwest of the Netherlands and afterwards earns a commendation from Queen Juliana. During July 1954 participates in fleet week at Rotterdam. On December 4, 1957 while in river Nieuwe Waterweg steaming between Torquay and Rotterdam, collides with SS Tanar in foggy conditions off Maassluis. The submarine sustains bow damage and plate damage and afterwards is repaired. On February 9, 1959 departs Rotterdam with Tijgerhaai to the English Channel. During September 1959 participates in Dutch-German exercise "Shoptalk" and arrives Hamburg. On October 12, 1959 departs for the Mediterranean and visits Malaga in Spain. During November 1959 visits Tangier in Morocco. During May 1960 undergoes an overhaul then is used for torpedo trials in den Helder and tests a new type of torpedo tube. On December 11, 1962 decommissioned and withdrawn from duty. Fate On July 12, 1963 sold for scrap to Jos de Smet for 166,500 Dutch Guilders and afterwards is scrapped. References Dutch Submarines - Boat Zwaardvis (1) Contribute
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